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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24694972">Everything's Grey 'Til it's Painted Blue</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpectralScathath/pseuds/SpectralScathath'>SpectralScathath</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Soulmates AU, Tai dated everyone on team STRQ at least once</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:56:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,426</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24694972</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpectralScathath/pseuds/SpectralScathath</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Taiyang is a single father raising two little girls, three times struck out when it comes to love and haunted by his lost fights. James was a rising star, a hero in the Atlesian military, until a fateful accident ripped his hopes and so much more away. </p><p>A chance video call, engineered by a dusty old Qrow, might be the start of a new beginning for them both.</p><p>[A gift for my friend librastrai.]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Ironwood/Taiyang Xiao Long</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Everything's Grey 'Til it's Painted Blue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/librastrai/gifts">librastrai</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tai always found it ironic to the extreme that in a world where pretty much everyone was named after colours, everything was always monochrome unless a hilariously specific set of conditions were met. Namely, someone had to find their soulmate, if said soulmate or mates existed. Even then, soulmates were a tricky business.</p><p>It had been a running joke on team STRQ that they’d all been such close friends that they shared a brain instead of a soul, since the initiation had thrown up nothing but grey for any of them. It had ended up being funnier when Summer was found out to be special because her eyes were the same monochrome as the world around them, according to Ozpin. Silver eyes in a world of grey.</p><p>He remembered the first time someone he’d known had seen the world in colour. When he and Summer had brought Ruby home the first time, Qrow had been busy minding Yang. Yang had squirmed out of her uncle’s grip with a shriek of glee and tumbled over to meet her new baby sister.</p><p>Yang had been so gentle with Ruby, letting her little sister grab her finger, and then the screams that poured out of her had Qrow jumping nearly a foot in the air. The only reason Tai hadn’t done the same was because he was still nursing a broken hand that Summer had caused, and endlessly apologised for, and hadn’t slept in the two days leading up to Ruby’s birth.</p><p>It had taken near on half an hour to calm his eldest daughter down and find out what happened, to which he’d had to decipher frantic blubbering toddler to find out that apparently, Yang was the first person in the entire STRQ family to see the world in colour. Sibling soulmates were always said to be the most common form of a soulbond, after all. </p><p>Taiyang had gotten used to a world without colour, in the literal sense.</p><p>Then Marcus Black ripped out his heart and soul in one fell swoop, and that literal lack of colour became metaphorical too.</p>
<hr/><p>“Tai, this has to change.”</p><p>He looked up from the essays he was grading, the bills he had to sort out, and the list of customers from his second job as a freelance mechanic. There was always so much to be done, but it had to be done to keep food on the table and a roof over his girl’s heads. </p><p>“Put down the whiskey, then we’ll talk.” He was getting real tired of Qrow’s alcoholism. He was lucky, at least, that Qrow had enough sense not to drink too much in front of the girls.</p><p>Qrow grumbled something and placed the bottle on the table, exaggeratedly shoving his hands into his pockets. “Tai, this needs to stop.”</p><p>“It can’t, Qrow. We’re barely making ends meet even with Ozpin paying you triple for every mission.” Bless his heart, their old headmaster was a lifesaver. “How was the latest mission anyway?”</p><p>“Remember the mission I mentioned in Atlas, where that specialist got torn apart trying to help me?” Qrow tried to keep the wobble of guilt out of his voice and failed miserably.</p><p>Tai remembered. Qrow had called him in a blind panic, too many words trying to make their way out at once for him to even be able to breathe right. Tai had to coax him into taking deep breaths before he’d gotten the story.</p><p>Qrow had been on a routine mission in the tundra of Solitas, hunting one of Salem’s operatives. He’d gotten the operative, but at the cost of wandering right into a horde of Grimm. Taiyang thought he’d been lucky to have a nearby specialist, a rising star in the Atlas military no less, on a different mission in the area. Qrow thought that the specialist was unlucky in the extreme, losing half his body in the process of saving Qrow, and he’d blamed it all on his semblance. On himself.</p><p>Taiyang snapped back to reality to realise he’d drifted off into his head again. The concerned look Qrow was giving him said so. “I remember. What about it?”</p><p>“Well, the guy woke up, eventually. I went to visit him. Apologise to him. He… he reminded me a little bit of you. You both lost something. A part of you. You lost- I mean, he’s also lost, uh, a lot of stuff.” Qrow shifted awkwardly in his seat.</p><p>“Maybe… maybe you guys could talk to each other? Help each other out?”</p><p>“Qrow, I don’t think-” he couldn’t say it- “what happened is anywhere near as comparable as losing two limbs and half a torso. I wouldn’t want to bother him when he should be focusing on recovery.”</p><p>“Tai.” Qrow’s voice went into the soft register that Tai never could say no to, something Qrow had used mercilessly against him to get Tai to spoil him with fluffy romance and cuddles when they’d dated back in Beacon. “Please.”</p><p>He sighed and drummed his fingers on the table, looking at some of the scars on his knuckles from a lifetime of fighting. “What’s his name?”</p><p>Qrow perked up. “James Ironwood. I’ll send you his contact details.”</p>
<hr/><p>James stared listlessly out the window at a world of grey, his left hand tapping at the buttons that let him move his hospital bed around the room and adjust all the little things. The incline of the seat, the lights, the window curtains, even the holoscreens, if he decided to watch some mindless entertainment.</p><p>He’d tried it. It didn’t suit him.</p><p>Instead he watched airships zoom by, cutting across the Atlas sky, and felt a pang of longing every time one shot by. Did some of them have Huntsmen on them? Could he have been one of them, if fate had been kinder?</p><p>A light knock on the door drew his attention and he looked over, seeing the cheerful nurse who always snuck him extra pudding when his internal organs were having a good day. “Hello, Griselda.”</p><p>“Hello, James,” she bustled in with a tray of food and set it down to check his vitals. “How are we feeling today?”</p><p>“Well enough. Better than yesterday.” The phantom pains had been hellish.</p><p>“Good, good.” She smiled as she switched his IV drip. “That lovely young man with the silly cape called. He wanted to put through a request for a friend of his to call you. I told them I’d check with you before they forwarded through the contact. Do you think you’re up for it?”</p><p>He stayed silent as he thought it over, grateful that Griselda wasn’t the type to push for an answer until he was willing to offer one. The man in the cape, that Qrow Branwen he’d saved. He was a nice enough person, having been willing to visit James once. He’d not stayed long, too scared his semblance would short out a piece of integral equipment keeping James or some other patient alive.</p><p>James didn’t hold a grudge against him for an uncontrollable semblance. There was no proof it had caused his injuries, when sheer numbers and his own skills failing him were equally blameable.</p><p>But he had a friend, or something, who wanted to talk to James?</p><p>Well.</p><p>He didn’t really have anything better to do, other than to lay there, immobile, haunted by monsters and memories that wouldn’t leave him be.</p><p>He nodded once at Griselda. “I’ll allow it. Thank you.”</p><p>“Of course. I’ll have them link you into the system. You know the drill, hit the bell if you need anything.” She bustled out of the room, leaving him with the silence again.</p><p>He waited for the contact to show up on the holoscreens he’d activated. A ‘Taiyang Xiao Long’. Wasn’t that a Vytal Tournament winner? He was sure he knew the name.</p><p>He clicked the call button, watching the loading screen spin in front of him. The screen changes, and there’s another man looking back to him. The first thing that James thought is that the man on the other side of the screen looked so<em> tired.</em><br/>
He didn’t know what to say.</p><p>Mr Xiao Long stared back at him then shifted a little bit, scratching the back of his head, and waved. “Hi. I’m Taiyang. You can call me Tai.”</p><p>“Ironwood.” Too formal. “James. James is fine. You’re Mr Branwen’s friend?”</p><p>“Qrow? Yeah, we partnered up in Beacon.” So he was a Huntsman. That was interesting. “Thanks for saving his life. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”</p><p>Were they that kind of ‘friend’? “You two are together?”</p><p>“Not since third year,” Taiyang chuckled. It struck James as a little bit forced. “Nah, but he helps a lot. I have two kids, he helps look after them with me.”</p><p>Two children. No mention of any mothers. James supposed being a single parent of two would explain the tiredness, but there was something else in Taiyang’s eyes that looked too familiar to James. He saw that look whenever his window was reflective enough to show him his face.</p><p>“I see.” He really had no idea what to say at all.</p><p>Neither did Taiyang, if the way he crossed his arms and was nervously drumming his fingers over his tattoo is any indication. “So… how’s Atlas?”</p><p>“Atlas is fine. You’ve been?”</p><p>“Yeah, Thirtieth Vytal festival.” Ah yes. That was where he knew the name.</p><p>“You were part of team STRQ, then?” The first and only team to ever have two consecutive wins of the Vytal Tournament.</p><p>“Yep. Then I got old,” Taiyang grinned. </p><p>“I see.” He looked around his room for any inspiration for a conversation. He would hang up once five minutes had passed, that was enough of an attempt, surely. “How’s… the weather?”</p><p>“Weather’s good.” Taiyang scratched the back of his neck, looking around the room on his side of the screen in the same manner that James had. “Bit warm. Rained last night, which was nice.”</p><p>“Huh. It’s snowing here.” Obviously it was snowing in Atlas. It was always snowing in Atlas.</p><p>“Cool.” Taiyang stared at the table in front of him, before starting what was yet to be another awkwardly pointless bit of conversation. He couldn't even begin to picture any further conversations that weren’t dripping in this awful sort of conversation. Although he did admit it was somewhat nice that Taiyang wasn’t asking questions about the accident. “So… Atlas?”</p><p>“Daddy?” The conversation was broken and both were spared from further worthless small talk at the voice. It was a tiny, high-pitched child voice on the other side of the call, and James watched Taiyang light up. It was similar to how sunshine is described, in the stories he used to read.</p><p>The empty space where James left his heart in the tundra suddenly didn’t feel so hollow, when he saw the sheer devotion and love this man has for his family.</p><p>Taiyang threw an apologetic smile at James, turning his attention to the tiny human. “Yes, honeybun?”</p><p>A messy-haired moppet flung herself into the screen, Taiyang catching her like it was the most natural thing in the world. James could see that while one side of her hair was tied in a twin tail, the other had become loose and tangled. The girl seemed to have the same light hair as Taiyang did. He almost wondered what colour it was truly meant to be.</p><p>“I fell out of a tree and my hair’s all messy!” The little girl sounded torn between indignation and hurt as she buried her face in her dad’s shirt, clinging tight to his leather vest with tiny, bark-scratched hands.</p><p>“I can see that,” Taiyang said before he shot him another smile, hugging his daughter as he did and running a soothing hand through her hair. “I’ll call you back, James?”</p><p>He nodded. “Of course. Until next time.” He closed the call himself.</p><p>Next time.</p><p>Next time suddenly didn’t seem so painful a thought.</p>
<hr/><p>It took a while for Taiyang to realise how much he <em>liked</em> talking to James. Of course he had liked talking to James once they got over the first awkward impressions, but it was surprising how much he liked talking to James.<br/>
He hadn’t made friends since Beacon, and Qrow was so far beyond a mere friend that calling him that felt like an insult to their partnership.</p><p>It was two calls after the first that he managed to get Qrow in a headlock long enough to get him to say hi to James. On the next one Yang barged in and plopped herself directly in front of the screen so she could interrogate James with all the grace and tact of the half-feral five-year-old she was.</p><p>He stopped counting the calls on the day James asked the question he’d dreaded. “Tai, can I ask about Ruby and Yang’s mother?”</p><p>He froze, fingers digging into the cushion he was fluffing up until the seams tore and cotton spilled over his hands and the table. The faint static at the edge of the Scroll’s audio burst into screeching white noise, roaring in his ears like radio feedback.</p><p>Summer.</p><p>Summer why did you go.</p><p>Why did you leave-</p><p>Why couldn’t you stay-</p><p>Why couldn’t-</p><p>Why-</p><p>Don’t leave me don’t go please <em>please-</em></p><p>
  <em>Summer-</em>
</p><p>“-ang? Taiyang?!” Voice. A voice?</p><p>He blinked and the world reasserted itself with a great, heaving spin, one that left him nauseous and sick to his stomach with grief. His hands <em>burned-</em></p><p>“Tai!” Hands on his shoulders. He was being shaken.</p><p>He blinked again, and Qrow was there, looking terrified and scared and worried. He stared at him and looked to the side, where James was staring with the same look as Qrow.</p><p>He looked between them, their voices muffled and wavy, like he was trying to hear them from underwater. “Did- What did I do?”</p><p>Qrow sagged in relief. “Sorry. I heard Jimmy yelling. You okay?”</p><p>“Yes?”<em> No.</em></p><p>“Taiyang, I’m sorry.” James looked at him in apology. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”</p><p>Qrow looked between them, not letting go of Taiyang. He was grateful for it. He needed a minute to put the puzzle pieces of his mind back together after they got scattered like that. “What was brought up?”</p><p>“I asked about Ruby and Yang’s mother, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise how touchy it was.”</p><p>Qrow swore before he was looking Taiyang over, his face paling when he looked at Taiyang’s hands. Was something wrong with them? “Okay, Jimmy, you didn’t know so it’s not your fault, but Raven was my sister and Yang’s mom, before the bitch ditched us when Yang was born, and Summer was our team leader and Ruby’s mom. She died. Badly. Shit happened.”</p><p>“I am so sorry.” James held up his hand and Taiyang had the mad thought that he was about to reach through the screen and hold Tai’s hand. No, that was stupid. And impossible.</p><p>Qrow shook his head. “You didn’t know. Listen, I’m gonna grab some bandages for your hands. You gonna be okay?” He looked Taiyang dead in the eyes, and Tai stared back.</p><p>“Okay.” He nodded back at Qrow.</p><p>Qrow searched his eyes for a moment before finding something that seemed to satisfy him, enough that he walked off to go find the first aid kit.</p><p>Taiyang looked down at his own hands and his stomach did a little flip when he saw they were covered in blood. Oh. He’d clenched his fists so hard he’d dug his nails into his skin.</p><p>It was so <em>dark.</em></p><p>Like ink.</p><p>Like Summer’s-</p><p>“Taiyang, I am truly sorry.” He looked up again, and managed to get his sight to focus on James. “I didn’t know.”</p><p>“It’s okay.” His own voice sounded so far away. “I’m okay.”<em> Liar.</em></p><p>James’ next words came in a stilting fashion, like he was still figuring them out as he went. “It’s… okay, if you aren’t okay. I won’t think less of you. I mean, look at me.” Tai followed James’ gaze to the bandaged area where his right shoulder was meant to be. “What right do I have to judge anyone, anyway?”</p><p>“I lost part of me too.” He blurted out.</p><p>“I hear that losing someone can feel that way.” James nodded in understanding that Taiyang really didn’t deserve, because really, how could he even begin to deserve sympathy from James when even the smallest thing could shake him this badly?</p><p>“No- not like- that’s not how I meant it.” He swallowed and focused on the next words, staring at the floor so he didn’t have to see whatever expression James would make. “Summer was murdered. By an assassin. Marcus Black. He- his semblance- he could remove another person’s semblance. Permanently.”</p><p>He risked a glance at James and was met with dawning realisation and horror.</p><p>“He ripped my semblance right out of me and then he killed her.” While Tai had lain there after the spiritual maiming, in the worst agony he’d ever felt, helpless, useless, forced to do nothing as he watched the greatest person he’d ever known get torn apart by a monster.</p><p>He’d tried to scrub her blood off his hands for weeks. Apparently blood was red like roses, according to what his books said.</p><p>He was somewhat glad he didn’t have to see it like that. The pitch black of it in his world of grey was bad enough.</p><p>It took him a while to realise that he’d  managed to say what happened. What happened to him. To his soul. And he’d said it out loud.</p><p>He met James’ eyes. “Sorry. I freaked out.”</p><p>“I know what it’s like to carry nightmares off the battlefield,” James said quietly.</p><p>Tai studied him. “Yeah.” He really would. “Listen, call you back? I better go make sure Qrow’s okay.” He’d been worried. He also deserved better than to have to deal with Tai.</p><p>“Any time. Take care of yourself as well, Taiyang.” James smiled at him in a way that, if Taiyang hadn’t been so drained and hurt, he may have found handsome.</p><p>“… I’ll try.” Taiyang watched James shut off the call, and hoped that he hadn’t driven away someone else.</p>
<hr/><p>Night terrors were such a hassle. And also the wrong terminology. James dealt with his terrors in the day as well.</p><p>Stress-induced hallucinations, the doctors called it. The stress of adjusting to the new half of his body, dealing with the pain of an entirely new set of limbs and metal muscle being attached to his skin, the phantom pains on top of that, and having to relearn how to do even the most basic of functions.</p><p>Yes, he definitely had a lot to be stressed about.</p><p>Calling Taiyang always made some of that stress ease. It was nice to be able to see Taiyang’s sunshine smiles, or hear him laugh at his own (terrible) jokes, or even to just talk to someone who truly understood what it was like to feel like part of him was missing, and never coming back.</p><p>The new arm and leg and internal organs were, at the end of the day, still prosthetics. Experimental prototype prosthetics. They grew cold too quick, until Polendina and Watts had sorted out a safe internal heating system that wouldn’t injure him or drain his aura. The elbow joint became stuck if he hyperextended it, before they found the loose screw that kept jamming. Learning to walk with a new, heavier, asymmetrical centre of gravity was tough, especially since he kept overestimating the strength in his new hand and breaking the handle of the walker they’d made for him.</p><p>He’d never be able to wield his axe, <em>Woodcutter,</em> with the same level of skill again.</p><p>But he kept going. He made progress. And he adjusted. Adapted. This was the hand he was given, and he’d play the cards he had left to the best of his ability.</p><p>One day, he’d go on missions again. He’d go back to helping people. Protecting people.</p><p>Still, sometimes on the days when he felt like giving up, it was nice to have people in his court. He swore to himself that once he fully felt like a Huntsman again, when he was ready, he’d go to visit Taiyang, and meet him, face to face.</p><p>The thought of finally visiting Patch and meeting Taiyang kept some of the natural cold he carried around in him at bay, so he could only imagine what it would be like when he met him in person. It was good to think of it as a ‘when’. It had a ring of hope to it, if he thought of it like that.</p><p>It was somewhere between the story of Taiyang’s ponytail getting accidentally burnt off when Yang and Ruby had set the kitchen on fire and finishing the blueprints for his new weapons that James realised he may have been a little bit in love with Taiyang and his sunlight smile.</p><p>Well.</p><p>James wasn’t a fool. He knew he wasn’t quite the romantic type. Aside from a few dates that had never gone anywhere in Atlas Academy, he had thrown himself into his work at the total disregard of anything resembling a social life. Romance had never really been a consideration, what had always mattered to him was being the best Huntsman he could possibly be. Other people might throw themselves into the quest to bring colour into their world, but James had always seen that is unnecessary.</p><p>Taiyang, James knew, was different. He had to have been at least something of a romantic type to earn the occasional jabs of ‘Entire Team’ that Qrow shot at him, when the three of them all happened to be chatting. From what James had gathered, Taiyang also was very clearly uninterested in any further romances. He had a family to raise and a twice-broken heart that hadn’t fully mended.</p><p>So, clearly, the obvious answer was to completely ignore the not-entirely-platonic affection he’d garnered for Taiyang. Even if Tai’s terrible dad jokes were told with the sort of earnest charm that made something in James’ chest go <em>thump.</em></p>
<hr/><p>Taiyang opened the door, letting the bundle of pupper energy that was the newest addition to the Xiao Long-Rose-Branwen family go zooming by his ankle and out into the yard. Zwei made it eleven bounding steps into the grass before his head and shoulder went down, the rest of his chubby body following the motion as the little corgi began rolling gleefully around in the grass, letting out little yips of doggo excitement.</p><p>Taiyang stepped out after him, content to watch in amusement as his dog had a great time, a half-finished mug of tea dangling from his hand.</p><p>He supposed Ruby and Yang were either sleeping in or were curled up together watching cartoons on Yang’s brand new scroll, something that his eldest had been trying to wheedle out of him for months before Qrow, the louse, had shown up the night before her birthday and presented the piece of tech with all the dramatic flourish and flair that kept him cemented as ‘Coolest Uncle’.</p><p>Taiyang pulled out his own scroll and looked at the message Qrow had sent two days ago. ‘Bringing home a surprise’. Every time he looked he only got more curious. Qrow may have been good at secrets, they’d both learnt that when they joined Ozpin’s inner circle, but he was terrible at surprises.</p><p>Taiyang sipped more of his tea and glanced at the flowerboxes running alongside his house. He should really start planting something in there. The problem was that it was tough to grow flowers when everything was grey, right down to the sky above.</p><p>He watched Zwei roll, with great effort, onto his belly, planting his stocky little paws on the ground as his ears perked up and his nose pointed down the path towards the end of the driveway. He let out an uncertain little bark, trying to hold his nerve in the face of what had to be a brand new smell and sound.</p><p>Taiyang put down his cup and stepped out, whistling sharply to call the puppy back to him. Zwei scurried over, nearly tumbling over his own paws in his haste to reach his Big Human. Tai scooped him up in the crook of his arm and activated his defensive aura, hoping that it was just Qrow, who hadn’t met the pup yet, and ready in case it was someone less friendly.</p><p>He was about to put Zwei inside when he saw Qrow come around the corner, closely followed by a man whose face Tai knew very well, clad in a white jacket and glove that looked uncomfortably warm for Patch.</p><p>“James?” He blinked at him, a little star struck. But- he’d never said he was- well, obviously James had said he’d finished his rehabilitation and was ready to take on missions, but he’d never said he was coming to Patch.</p><p>Ironwood looked at him, wearing the scruff of a man who was still getting used to shaving again, and smiled that vaguely hopeful, slightly withdrawn, but ever soft smile that Taiyang was always thrilled to get. “Hello, Taiyang.”</p><p>Taiyang walked over, first pulling Qrow into a one-armed hug to make sure he didn’t crush Zwei. “Missed you, birdbrain.”</p><p>“Jerk. Will the dumb nicknames ever die?’ Qrow grumbled good-naturedly. “Who’s this?” He offered a hand for Zwei to sniff. It was snuffled decisively and given a cautious lick, Qrow taking that as the seal of approval to pet the pup’s head.</p><p>“Zwei. Here, hold him.” Taiyang practically shoved Zwei into his partner’s hands, Qrow’s face going soppily soft at having an armful of puppy. “Hi James.”</p><p>Ironwood stood with ramrod straight posture, both hands clasped behind his back in the most hilariously formal military pose Tai had ever seen. “Hello again, it’s good to finally meet.” He offered a handshake.</p><p>Taiyang grabbed the gloved hand, feeling the hard metal underneath, and carefully but firmly used his grip to pull James into a hug, wrapping an arm around him and closing his eyes tight. “Thank you.”</p><p>If Qrow was his lifeline, if the girls were his lights, his treasures, his everything, then James was like listening to the rainfall and a million other small comforts. He never had to pretend for James, whenever they talked. Never had to be anything other than he was, rough, jagged edges, open wounds, bleeding heart, and all.</p><p>He felt James’ arms wrap around him and pull him closer, and just that simple returning of affection meant so much, kindling a warmth deep in his soul.</p><p>He pulled back, opened his eyes, and yelped. “What the <em>fuck?!”</em></p>
<hr/><p>He was so nervous to meet Taiyang, afraid that without the protection, the boundary of the screen, the other man might reject him.</p><p>And yet, he worried for naught.</p><p>Taiyang was careful not to crush him in a hug, but James could still feel the power hidden in the warm arms, the strength that Taiyang had bragged about being able to lift a truck with. While he’d want to see that in action so there was proof, he could be reasonably certain that Taiyang would be more than capable of lifting him. Metal half and all.</p><p>Taiyang pulled back, and James realised that everything had changed.</p><p>The world of black and white he’d always known as gone, everything alive with colour around him. He was certain it was probably spectacular to see, but all he wanted to do was look at Taiyang. Taiyang’s eyes were even more beautiful and warm then the sunlight smile, despite the fact that James was certain they were technically considered a ‘cool’ colour. He doesn’t know which one.</p><p>He vaguely registered Taiyang swearing and telling Qrow to “hand me your scroll I need a list of colours pronto-“</p><p>That would be the point where he tuned out. He could look at a colour dictionary later.</p><p>Right then he just wanted to admire the contrast between Taiyang’s light hair and his darker skin and his eyes that were so full of life and fire and love.</p><p>He felt an elbow against his left side and the spell Taiyang wove by accident was broken, at least for a moment. James looked at Qrow, who was looking between the two of them with utter glee, then back at Taiyang, who was frantically patting his pockets. Taiyang saw colour now too, James realised.</p><p>They were soulmates.</p><p>Qrow clicked his fingers, his eyes a bright hue that was a desaturated, lighter hue of the colour of his cape. “Oi, Jimmy, you gonna say something?”</p><p>James could have said a million things. He couldn’t find the words, however, for anything good, and instead he picked what was likely the worst possible thing.</p><p>“You’re beautiful,” he stuttered out, before feeling a deep-seated urge to hit himself in the head a few times. With<em> Due Process.</em></p><p>Taiyang blinked at him before a rush of even more colour painted itself over the bridge of Tai’s nose as he <em>beamed.</em> “Thanks, James.”</p><p>James smiled bashfully back, as an apology for not thinking through his words, and Qrow started howling with laughter at the pair of them.</p>
<hr/><p>Taiyang yawned himself awake and shifted up onto his elbows, watching the silvery-blue moonlight spill into his room from the curtains he’d accidentally left open.</p><p>It turned the world something similar to the monochrome he’d known before he met James. But he knew otherwise. The light blue vents in James’ right collarbone, shoulder, and the back of his hand were proof, and if he wanted more proof, all he had to do was activate his aura and for a moment the room would be bathed in golden light.</p><p>He was content without colour though. While it was definitely nice enough, he found that the true joy of having a soulmate was the actual soulmate bit.</p><p>James, who had some sort of spooky sixth sense to know when someone was looking at him, stirred awake, one navy eye opening and fixing on Tai’s marine blue gaze. “You are aware that sleep is good for you?”</p><p>“I know,” Tai chuckled and rested his head on his arms, smiling guilelessly at James’s glare. It lost all of the impact when James was tired, half-asleep, and also didn’t mean it. It was adorably cute, in fact, though James would probably get all grumpy if Taiyang told him that.</p><p>“You have work tomorrow.” James stretched out an arm, silently offering a cuddle. Taiyang knew he’d always have the option to refuse, if the memory of Marcus Black’s hand pressing against his skin, the feeling of it reaching beyond that and into his soul, if that became too much for him to be able to stand touch for a while, James would accept that.</p><p>They both tried to work around each other’s weak points like that. If James was seeing battles long since over, Taiyang would gently sit by him until he could pull himself out of it. If Taiyang was staring at phantom blood on his hands, James would hold them until Tai woke up.</p><p>It was messy, sometimes, and it wasn’t easy, but so far, Taiyang was finding maybe the fourth time was the charm.</p><p>“Hey?” James’ voice cut gently through his thoughts, and he realised he’d been off in his own head again.</p><p>He chuckled ruefully at himself and shifted so he was resting his head on James’s chest, listening to both the steady heartbeat and the quiet whirr of machinery. “Sorry, I was away with the faeries.” It was Qrow’s new favourite words for it.</p><p>“I’m glad they gave you back.” James tugged him a little closer, amusement colouring his tone as he began to play lightly with Taiyang’s bedhead, running his fingers through the soft blond strands. “I like having you here.”</p><p>Taiyang closed his eyes and threw an arm over James’ waist, hugging him tight. “Me too. Right, well, now that I’ve woken you up, I’m gonna fall back asleep. Night, James.”</p><p>“You punk.” James definitely had hints of laughter in his voice now. “Well, at least I still have a few days before I’m back in Atlas. I’ll just have to sleep in.”</p><p>“Rub it in, why don’t you,” Taiyang yawned and twisted so he could press a soft kiss to his soulmate’s jaw. “Love you, James. G’night.”</p><p>“Love you too.” James tugged him a little closer, the world around them painted shades of silver-blue in the starlight.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Irontai is such a cute ship tho oh my goodness. This is for you, owl luv.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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